Thursday, October 13, 2011

Eat Healthy- Yours and your kids' lives depend on it!

I eat healthy because I like the way it makes me look and feel- mostly feel. I like knowing I am treating my body right and taking care of myself. I like being able to do "real pushups" and that my stomach doesn't hang over my pants when I sit down. (Trust me- I have to work hard, make good choices, and say NO to some foods I would like to eat to make this a reality, so don't think I'm bragging here!) I like that I can lift heavy boxes by myself because I am strong. Fortunately I enjoy eating healthy foods. Some of it I have had to teach myself to like, but for the most part I actually prefer healthy options to junk food. I RARELY eat junk food....I don't keep it around, and I have convinced myself I don't like it. :) It works for me.

I haven't always been this way, though.

I remember that we collected teeny beanie babies from McDonald's when I was younger (we thought someday we'd be millionaires if we had them all- epic fail!) and I ate more Happy Meals than I care to admit. I really started learning about eating healthy in middle school from my best friend Chelsi, and her mom, who is a fitness guru. Their healthy eating habits inspired me, and I started changing my eating habits then. I have only studied and learned more about eating healthy as I have gotten older.

If you are a "health nut," you are probably not surprised by the fact that I have caught a LOT of flack over the years for eating healthy. People make snide comments, pick on me, and are sometimes even rude about it. Seriously, what is the big deal if I order my salad dressing on the side?!?!?! I'm not sure if others feel inadequate about their own poor choices, but it definitely doesn't affect me much to hear them try to call me out. In one ear and out the other!

I TRY to encourage people around me to eat healthier and make positive lifestyle changes. It definitely makes you look and feel better, but more than anything it's about adding quality years to your life. And of course setting a good example for the next generation....

DID YOU KNOW???

"For the first time in history, the next generation will not live longer than their parents." Source

"Eating poorly during pregnancy can increase your children's and your grandchildren's risk of cancer, even if they themselves eat healthily, a new study suggests." Source

• Over the past 30 years, the number of overweight children has doubled and the
number of overweight teenagers has tripled.
• Diabetes prevalence increased by 33% in the in the past 20 years, due primarily
to the increased number of overweight individuals
• Over 300,000 deaths per year are caused by poor nutrition and a lack of physical
activity 1 out of 3 children born today will develop diabetes at some point in
their lifetime if dietary trends continue as they are today. Source

Healthy eating is associated with reduced risk for many diseases, including several of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.1

Healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important for proper growth and development and can prevent health problems such as obesity, dental caries, iron deficiency, and osteoporosis.1,2Source

Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are leading causes of death in the U.S. People are dying. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, unhealthy eating and inactivity cause 310,000-580,000 deaths every year—similar to the number of deaths caused by tobacco and 13 times more than are caused by guns.1

Diet- and inactivity-related diseases are expensive. Better nutrition could reduce the cost of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes by $71 billion each year.5

Mothers who eat an unhealthy diet during pregnancy may be putting their children at risk of developing long term, irreversible health issues including obesity, raised levels of cholesterol and blood sugar, according to new research(1). Source

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Really, we all can make up every excuse in the book for not eating healthy...."too expensive" ..."I don't like those foods"..."I'm not overweight"...But that's exactly what they are- EXCUSES. And they ARE going to affect your health or your children's health.

If not for yourself, how about for your spouse? And your children???

Now, step away from the brownie....

**This is really not meant to offend anyone. I don't think it will, but I just wanted to clarify that- ya never know. I'm just simply stating some facts.

(However, if you are offended, maybe it's time to make some changes???)

2 comments:

Great post! My mom started feeding me organic food when I was 5 years old (I am 53 now so that was a long time ago.). I was made fun of at school with my big bag of veggies and brown bread but there has been no cancer, diabetes, asthma, allergies, or any of the modern diseases in my whole family line! Quite a testimony to eating food the way God intended.